The invention is related to the field of nuclear power plant inspection, and in particular to a wireless underwater robot for nuclear power plant inspection.
There is an increasing need for stringent inspection of nuclear power plants. In particular, the inside structure of a reactor and its associated equipment and instrument are of high priority. Many of these internal structures are currently inaccessible for the human and have been left uninspected.
Prior work on underwater robots for nuclear reactor inspection exists, but these robot systems are not wireless; a long cable wire is used for communication and control as well as for powering the robot. Cables not only prevent the robot freely move within the reactor and adjacent area, but also get contaminated with radioactive materials, which make the maintenance and storage of the robot system more difficult and costly. The invented wireless robot is simple, compact, and disposable, and is able to move freely without a tether.